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WHEN, WHERE IN 2015?

Promoters of the Honda Indy Toronto race insists the Verizon IndyCar Series will return for its lone Canadian stop in 2015, but the big question of the event is when and exactly where it will be held. The 1.7-mile street course has been a staple since 1986, yet with the Pan-Am games set to take over the Exhibition Centre next year on Indy car's traditional mid-July date, Toronto's place on the calendar is set to change.

Everything from early June – the weekend after the Indy 500 – to August has been mentioned, and with construction currently taking place around the facility, it's likely the course will be occupied with Pan-Am preparations. This weekend's event has construction taking place inside the track and outside as well, and with the early stages of a giant new hotel build happening on the front straight, it's easy to see the size and scale of what's on the horizon.

Hotel construction has actually pushed pit lane back approximately 100 feet, if not more, which has caused a bit of a choke point that did not previously exist. Drivers were able to use both lanes when exiting the pits and could push the issue before returning to the track, but with the new funnel in mind, IndyCar has instructed its drivers to run single-file through the narrow lane (ABOVE).

An interesting find took place during excavation for the hotel as the digging crew unearthed a portion of the Fort York military base (LEFT) that was built in the late 1700s, and with the rest of the Fort York base registered as a historic landmark, a wrench was thrown into construction plans.

With the hotel and historic landmark addition, the series could look at reconfiguring the final Turn 8-9-10 complex due to the accommodations that have pushed pit lane back a considerable distance into those corners.

NEW OLD SPONSOR FOR BHA

Energee, the new energy drink sponsor that appeared on the sidepods of Jack Hawksworth's No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda at the Grand Prix of Indy, was noticeably absent at the start of Friday's practice session. The bare sidepods were filled with a familiar name – Bowers & Wilkins – for the second practice session and according to team co-owner Bryan Herta, B&W will be carried as the primary sponsor on Union Jack's car this weekend, if not longer.

"Very happy to welcome Bowers and Wilkins back to the team and IndyCar," Herta told RACER. "The B&W brand is synonymous with quality and performance and we expect to deliver those same qualities on track."

FAREWELL TO DR. MELVIN

Dr. John Melvin wasn't a familiar face to many at the racetrack – most of his work took place behind the scenes as one of North America's foremost experts in motor racing safety, and with his sudden death this week, the sport is left owing the good doctor a huge debt of gratitude.

Melvin, who worked for General Motors for years before conducting his research on an independent basis, brought the use of advanced foams into Indy car racing in the 1990s – for cockpit helmet surrounds and what's now used throughout the DW12 cockpit, was part of the SAFER Barrier R&D, contributed to the ongoing development of the HANS device, and made countless other contributions to the industry. This writer had a chance to work with him in the late 1990s in the IRL when a helmet padding issue arose, and within days, a large box filled with different materials arrived with instructions on the various energy absorption properties they offered. We were but one of many teams to receive items from Melvin – for free – in the name of improved driver safety.

An unsung hero whose work has saved countless lives, the loss of Dr. Melvin leaves our sport without one of its most important contributors. ​